The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is back for their 28th edition from November 13 to 24!
This year Reel Asian highlights the diversity of Japanese stories and artistry, with a spotlight on Japanese Diaspora in North America. This includes the VR exhibition SEN inspired by traditional Japanese tea ceremonies; the sports documentary Ashima profiling a Japanese American rock-climbing prodigy; the historical documentary Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song In Movement about the titular Japanese American artist-activist; and the experimental documentary short File No. 2304 that traces the history of a Japanese Canadian family.
The Japan Foundation, Toronto is proud to be a continued supporter of Reel Asian as the co-presenter of their SEN exhibition.
SEN
Created by Keisuke Itoh • November 14–24
Japan • 2023 • 13min
Experience a poetic journey of connection and entanglement inspired by the philosophies of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Set in the famous Tai-An teahouse, SEN is a Virtual Reality (VR) experience that takes us from joy and wonder, through carelessness and confusion, to peace and renewal, in a lush, visual homage to the expansive emotional interior.
Introduction to Japanese Tea Ceremony with Momo Yoshida
Hosted by Momo Yoshida • November 20
Experience a bit of the Japanese tea ceremony and learn about its history and core philosophies. Hosted by Momo Yoshida, the founder and owner of Momo Tea, an online tea store based in Toronto.
Presenting SEN: In conversation with Sana Akram
November 22
Join Sana Akram with Reel Asian programmer Aram Collier to talk about the work required to present SEN, the world of experiential media, and the impact of new media technologies in storytelling.
Ashima
Directed by Kenji Tsukamoto (in attendance) • November 17
USA • 2023 • 86min • Presented in English and Japanese with English subtitles
What does greatness look like? What does it take to be great? In the documentary Ashima, greatness looks like Ashima Shiraishi, a modest but determined 13-year old Japanese American rock-climbing prodigy. For her demanding father, Hisatoshi, a former Butoh dancer and Ashima’s coach, greatness requires discipline and intense focus. Together, they’ve embarked to South Africa to climb Golden Shadow, a famous V14 boulder, for Ashima to become the youngest woman to ever climb it.
Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song In Movement
Directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le & Tadashi Nakamura • November 19
USA • 2024 • 60min • Presented in English
Through the lens of directors Tadashi Nakamura and Quyên Nguyen-Le, this compelling documentary captures the bold journey of visionary artist-activist Nobuko Miyamoto. From her upbringing in a Japanese American internment camp to her breakthrough as a performer in films and on Broadway, Miyamoto reflects on how her personal encounters with racial injustice inspired her blending of artistic endeavours with Asian American advocacy. Her thoughtfully created music, dances, and theatre productions carry on to bridge cultural divides and facilitate mutual support among BIPOC communities.
File No. 2304
Directed by A.S.M. Kobayashi • November 19
Canada, USA • 2024 • 5min • Presented in English
After accessing the 119-page custodial file of her great-grandfather in the National Archives of Canada, A.S.M. Kobayashi discovers new details about her Japanese family’s history and their lives before internment.
This programme precedes Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song In Movement.
